TOW Scores first T 90 A kill in Syria

TOW Scores first T 90 A kill in Syria

TOW a second generation anti tank guided missile successfully taken out a Russian T 90 A modern battle tank in Syrian theater. The TOW crew's are American and western trained free Syrian army members,  The rebellion group who fighting against Assad since years. and the T 90 A is the modern Russian MBT, which was recently shipped into Syria manned by either Russian or Syrian soldiers.

Video's found in yesterday in twitter that, Free Syrian rebels who operates the second generation wire guided anti tanks missile, successfully intercepted a T 90 A tanks, The video's is incomplete. as it shows the TWO missile strikes close to the 12.7 mm cannon, and creates a big fire, within a moments tank operators seems abandoning the tanks and running away. after math of the attack big smokes arises from the tank. guessing Tank ready to explode.

Modern battle tanks are better equipped with new generation countermeasure suites to effectively counter, guided and unguided missiles and shells. known as soft kill technology by disabling their guidance and communication. Tanks like T 90 A, Abrams, Leclerc and Merkava has such systems. which gives additional protection to the tank.

Mostly the T 90 A comes with three layer of defense, first is the composite armour body, which gives strength and provide safe cover to the Tank from any kind of attacks. second is the ERA tiles, explosive reactor armour is a pack of explosives fitted in the Tanks body, which can counter react against guided missiles.

Third is the soft kill mechanism, The Russians and many other T 90 operators using Shtora countermeasure systems. The systems comes with two infrared jammers, which can jam infrared or command guided missiles like TOW, Milan and other second generation missiles. the IR Jammers jams any kind of command guided missiles who uses infrared to guide the missile.

This is where the Russian Tank failed to prove against the TOW missile. It's a bitter shock to analysts after the Su 24 easily shoot downed by the Turks. T 90 A is believed to be one of the better main battle tank in service of more than five countries include India.The Shtora failed to respond against the threat, thus makes destruction of the Tank.

The system also comprising laser warning receivers, who alert the crew, If anyone pointed the Tanks with laser guided missiles. Laser guided missiles like Hell fire and Javelin tracks the tank using laser beams. laser beams can be countered by smoke. So if Tank detects possibility of laser beams, they launch smoke Grenade to escape from the zone using the cover of smoke.

Additionally the Israeli's using active protection system, who act like a CIWS in Tank. The APS provide fourth cover to the Israeli Tanks.

When comes to Indian Scenario, India operates more than thousands of T 90 A, double than the Russian figures, The T 90 tank procurement is one of the kickback deal, where Russia agreed to provide complete ToT, who later provide less technologies, The Russians refused to provide the basic composite armour technology in T 90. Later India developed Kanchan armour which was used in Arjun Tanks.

India is the only country who always omit Russian EW system in every procurement, from Su 30 MKI to T 90 S, India omitted Russian countermeasure system. The Indian T 90 tanks they using the Swedish Saab designed LEDS 150 countermeasure soft kill mechanism. which will be replace the unreliable Shtora systems in T 90 A.

It's better that Indian Tanks are have more powerful and reliable EW systems than the Russian and other countries T 90 tanks. The Pakistani's and Chinese have tons of wire guided anti tank guided missiles who is waiting to blow up the Indian armor's. Anyway it's better that Indian T 90 MS has better protection than the Russian system.

Info on BGM 71 - TOW

TOW stands for Tube Launched Optically tracked Wire guided missile system, Which can engage targets upto some four kilometers with line of sight command. Which means the operator keep an eye on the Target till the missile hits.

TOW uses HEAT warhead, used to destroy tanks complete and igniting fire in ammo storage. HEAT stands for High Explosive anti tank warhead. The missile penetrate the tank using shaped charges then injects the ammunition inside the tank, will explode the tank completely.

FSA is known operator of the TOW missile, since the Syrian Civil war more than hundreds of armored vehicles were destroyed by Syrian rebels using the TOW missile.  

China gifts 300 Type 99 Tanks to Pakistan

China gifts 300 Type 99 Tanks to Pakistan

The Chinese Type 99

    Pakistan Army set to receive brand new third generation Type 99 main battle tanks from China as a gift. The Pakistani's shows interests in the Type 99 earlier and evaluated them for future purchase. This would be a ideal replacement of older Pakistani Type 59,85,69  main battle Tanks, those are also acquired from the Chinese earlier which is unfit in current battles. Recently the Pakistani Army buys some 300 second hand upgraded T 55 Tanks from Serbia, to increases their Tank numbers close to Indian Army.

    The Chinese Type 99 delivery seems just a beginning. Pakistan plans to replace their aging tanks with modern third generation Tanks with in house developed Al khalid and another foreign Tanks like Type 99. They also planned to modernize the Ukrainian delivered T 80 Tanks into new standard with the help of Russia. The modernization makes the tanks more powerful to fight against Indian T 90 MS. Pakistan operates some 300 T 80 Tanks which are 2+ generation Tanks.

    Addition of the new Type 99 tank in the Pakistani inventory gives some good advantages against the superior power fire of the Indian Army. India deployed more than thousands of brand new modified  T 90 Tanks along the Indo Pakistani borders, with the option of deploying another thousand more before 2020. Compared to the Type 99 the T 90 also developed based on the T 72 Variant and performance wise the T 90 leads in the race due to light weight and more protective composite armor.

    The Type 99 is a third generation tank, features some advanced automatic technologies like auto reloader, electronic countermeasures, missile firing cannons and active protection systems. The Type 99 is one of the front line main battle tank of the PLA Army. It's believed the Type 99 is the upgraded T 72 which incorporates Russian and Western technologies. the smooth bore main gun, auto loader mechanism are all comes from the Russia, while the armors and optronics suites  are derivatives from some western armors.

 

   The Type 99 has some active protection systems to spoof off the guided missiles and the explosive reactor armor used to withstand from point attack shells. The protection systems are comparable to the Modern Tanks like T 90 and western Tanks like Challenger MBT. However the Tank yet to be battle tested. The Type 99 comes with digital architecture for fire control which reduces the tank crew and work load. The fire control system is the ISFCS-212 with an IR automatic target tracker, The Type 99 also has laser target designator, an IR searchlight, and an improved 2nd generation thermal sight.

The T 80 MBT

  The Indian T 72 too modified with some western technologies, which allowed the Tanks to be operated in day and night conditions. The Indian T 72 modernized with Polish fire control systems and thermal imagining systems. along with home made explosive reactive armors and Israeli made Navigation systems. The T 72 Ajeya also employed Laser warning systems and improved Engines. while the Type 99 superior in missile firing cannons only. Indian Army operates more than  2000 upgraded  T 72 main Battle tanks.

   The Type 99 can fire guided Missile Invar from the smooth bore gun, makes the Tank powerful against non line of sight targets, which allows to engage Tanks hidden from the plain. The laser guided missile can home into enemy target then explode with high explosive or tandem hallow charge warhead. The missile can be self guided or guided from the Tank for jamming resistance. The missile uses laser beam riding for guidance, allows to engage targets upto some  5 kilo meters. The Inavr missile also being used by Indian Army in it's T 90 Tank. The Indo Israeli cannon launched guided missile comes with better range and fire power which was employed in the Arjun Tanks .

Indian Army T 90

  It's believed Pakistan may modernize the first batch of 300 Type 99 to suits in Pakistan condition and  they eventually deploy those Tanks near Punjabi lines. showing their little offensive fire power against Indian Army. However the Indian Army set to receive third generation guided anti tank missiles from Israel. which allows the Army infantry group to destroy modern tanks like T 80 and Type 99. The Spike ATGM comes with laser and IIR guidance with top attack mode, which can defeat almost all kind of modern Tanks. While Pakistan don't have such fire and forget man portable missiles.

   Those Type 99 should need better air cover to work near Indian borders, Since the Indian Air force already inked a contract to procure  the modern Apache gunships with fire and forget anti tank missiles like hell fire. The Apache can withstand from the Type 99 secondary fire support systems like 12.7 mm and 7.52 mm machine guns. 

Pakistan Buys 282 Refurbished T 55 Tanks from Serbia

Pakistan Buys 282 Refurbished T 55 Tanks from Serbia

    It's interesting and surprising from the Pakistani side that they invested into vintage T 55 tanks along with old APC and field guns from Serbia, but those are very well upgraded by the Serbians before hand overing to Pakistan. The upgrades includes Armour protection, new Generation Explosive reactive Armour added along with digital controls systems added in the Upgrade. makes them safer against  RPG's and heavy machine gun rounds.

The T 55 is a Medium Tank 36 Tons of weight, using a 100mm Main gun along with a 12.7mm for anti personnel usage, which shows good for mobility and good for asymmetrical warfare, where Pakistan suffering since decades. actually Pakistan need a good small arms to protect themselves from it's Terrorists. here T 55 is a good option because it's reliable against terrorists attacks and available in low cost both in procurement and maintenance. most of the fights fought by the Pakistan is  with their own Jihadi's.

        The Pakistanis went for Cheap Tanks rather than good APC and Infantry fighting Vehicle's which is not good against such Heavily armed militants, even they have good number of APC's named Talha which is not good against those Terrorists, usually they were easy targets to the terrorists.

     These Tanks were good in Mobility due to lower weight, with the ERA Armour It can be deployed in Battlegrounds, and It's more than good against the modern IFV's, But it's not a real threat to India when it's deployed to near border. but good for Ambushes only.

                    Pakistan is not known for Keeping good numbers of Main battle Tank, they have some less than thousand Modern Battle Tanks, nearly 300 Brand new T 80 from Ukraine, and some Pakistani Chinese Made Al Khalid MBT's.

             Mean Time India Have triple amount of Modern MBT's, and two new programs to increase the numbers. more than 300 Arjuns are under operational, nearly 1000 of MK 2 version planned, more than 1000 of T 90 in Operational. and 2500 modernized T 72 Ajeya Tanks.

                  But looks like The Pakistanis need a good numbers of MBT's o confront against the Indian Forces, mostly all of these Indian Tanks will be deployed along the Indo Pakistani Border, makes the Pakistani's pinned downed if war broken out. Pakistani's have no other options but increase the numbers of Battle Tank.

               Even if it is looked like Those T 55 procurement only for attacks against terrorist, but they frequently uses the Air power to defeat the Terrorists. but there is no way using those Tanks against Terrorists, because they easily can ambush if it was used in the Urban warfare. even though those terrorists uses huge size of IED's to break those Tanks from bottom end,

                The Pakistanis has the only option to Stop the Indian flotilla of Tanks by using latest generation Anti tank missiles, but the problem is no one ready to supply most sophisticated fire and forget Anti tank missiles to Pakistan. the Pakistanis uses the Chinese made  variant of HJ 8 Anti Tank missiles, which is good against older generation Tanks, The Modern Tanks comes with more defensive options from Armour upgrades to active protection system. also those HJ 8 uses the wire guidance which makes the Handler keep an eye of the target till the missile strike the Tank. which is not a good option in modern battlefields.

    But India also have the same wire guided missiles, but they have two other projects for fire and forget types, one is through procurement the Spike missile variants from Israel, another is home made Nag missile.

Problem in Arjun Tank, T 14 in Sight

Problem in Arjun Tank, T 14 in Sight

The Russian T 14 Armanta Tank

        Startling reports have emerged in a leading newspaper stating the already inducted Arjun battle tanks have been suspended from action owing to problems in their systems. An undated article published in “Economic times” has claimed that of the 124 deployed Arjun MK1 tanks only 12 to 15 tanks are currently in service and the remaining tanks have been pulled off service and have credited the source to an anonymous Army official. Which would mean not even a single regiment is operational at the present, each regiment contains at least 48 tanks.

      The report has further claimed that these tanks are developed with only 40% indigenous materials and the rest of the technologies are imported. With persistent problems in the ToT clauses the Army has failed to maintain these main battle tanks and also states “ The Army has identified more than 96 problems of which 18 have been classified as major issues and these issues have been credited for making the tanks go off the duty. Furthermore the report has indicted the current MoD and has stated that the minister is very keen to fund projects to procure new system for the tanks.

       But report seems to baseless and botched up theory, earlier Indian defense watchers and some strategic experts raised their voice, when the Russian T 14 Armanta MBT made debut, and predicted that Army would say something about existing Arjun fleet and would try to buy the new Russian T 14 system, and that's the truth too.

       A strong Russian lobby is still believed to be in the business to make sure India invest in T 14 R&D. Russia had earlier persuaded India to buy their BMP 3 IFV, India steered clear of the deal and went against the Russian pitched BMP 3’s.

     The Arjun is one of the best tank for Indian conditions which was developed by CVRDE and DRDO with the support of Israeli's, once the Israeli's called the

Arjun Tank as Desert Ferrari.

       The then Indian Army Chief Gen Deepak had appreciated the Arjun's performance and had approved it to be inducted into the Army in early 2009. There were rumoured reports in which the Arjun winter trials performance reports were sabotaged and was noticed that false data’s were fed to the system.

      It's the Chinese who learned last 2009, when India Tested Advanced Laser Warning and Countermeasure System (ALWCS), the suite comprises a laser warning system, infra-red jammer and an aerosol smoke grenade system. The sensors of these systems are mounted on the front sides of the turret, which are the Major Defensive systems in Arjun Tank.

     After the T 14 lobby emerged there seems to be a lobby with the army working to look at the induction of T 14 and is trying to downplay the home grown Arjun project.

   Also the news was first published by Manu Pubby in Economic times, who is a reliable defence journalist but it's hard to digest that such a loosely based report has been put forward by such an imminent person. It has to be seen what course this issue will take in the coming days.

 

The Pre production Testing Models of T 14 Armanta

The Desert Ferrari Arjun Tank

Arjun Tank